A/N: And again I have to apologize for my slow update speed. The reason is that I'm currently DROWNING IN KNOWLEDGE - ahem, some people call it studying, but really it feels more like drowning to me. (Yes we seem to have exams much later than the rest of the world. Laugh at me why don't you.)
XL-chapter as an apology..?
Anyways, I can't thank you enough for all your reviews :3!
Enjoy :)
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Chapter 36
There were two types of predators. One was elegant and agile, fewer muscles in comparison, but with a tension that could burst into a fearsome force at any moment.
Riddle definitely belonged into that category. A deadly grace in each of his steps and a chilling intelligence in his eyes.
Greyback turned out to be a beast.
He was the type to crush skulls with his little finger. The type that didn't need to scheme and lie in wait for his moment to attack. The type that never needed to develop any kind of cleverness simply because his brutality alone was an overwhelming force.
The man was huge. Harry knew he had skipped a few meals in his childhood - or more like several years' worth of meals - and truly regular meals were a novelty he had experienced at Hogwarts for the first time, but he knew no amount of nutrition would have ever brought him close to Greyback's massive stature.
Actually he was seriously wondering how human bones could hold all that mass up. The fact that the man was dressed completely in wolf fur - head and all - didn't exactly smother Harry's suspicion regarding his humanity.
Greyback peered down at him, his grey eyes squinting as if having trouble seeing him down there.
"You woke me up for that pipsqueak?" his voice was deep and harsh.
Any irritation Harry might have felt at the insult was overruled by the grudging admittance that the man was speaking nothing but the truth. Then again, next to that titan everyone would look like a dwarf.
"Let go of him Scabior," he huffed annoyed. "What do you expect that midget to do? An ant could cause more problems."
"Yeah don't worry, my piss doesn't sting." It slipped out before Harry could stop it.
One of Greyback's massive hands landed heavily on Harry's head. The force of the fingers alone was crushing.
"Think you're funny, boy?"
"Outch, ow no- no really. My mouth, it's ah-...Ow, faster than my brain. Painfully faster," Harry pressed out quickly.
"What the hell is a mouse like you doing out here alone?"
"Uh, just passing through honestly… And I've got an evil horse with me."
And a singing idiot who was probably throwing a fit right now because the rope had been cut.
"He was being let down on a rope, he's definitely a spy for that sorceress!" Scabior interjected.
Greyback looked back at him sceptically. "Are you a spy, pipsqueak?"
"Uhm, no."
Greyback turned back around to the man called Scabior and pointed at Harry. "He says he's not a spy."
Seriously?
"Well he's lying!" Scabior insisted.
"Doesn't matter. He's not getting out of here alive anyways."
"Err, I've got one or two objections to that…" Harry interrupted weakly.
"We'll sell him like the rest of them. He's young enough," the lord eyed him up and down with assessing eyes. "And pretty enough."
"You can't sell me," Harry protested indignantly. Why did everyone always want to abduct him?!
"Why not?"
The question was asked with such honest curiosity that Harry came up short. There were a hundred plausible answers to that, all of which were based on morale and thus would fall on deaf ears.
At last he snarled up at the lord. "I won't let you."
Greyback blinked, then threw his head back and laughed, clearly only finding amusement at his threat.
But Harry was used to getting underestimated. In fact, he encouraged it most of the time. When his pride could handle it. People weren't on guard when they felt at ease.
So while they were all having a nasty laugh, no one even noticed Harry slipping a hand in his pocket. If they had felt threatened, they wouldn't even have allowed him to move a finger.
Flicking the switch of one of his oldest and most effective device was easy after that.
Greyback only stopped laughing when everyone else around him had dropped into the dirt like lifeless dolls. He was frowning at the unconscious forms of his followers in disbelief.
Harry in turned was openly gaping at Greyback in shock. The man was still standing. Apparently not even slightly affected by the shock wave that should have knocked him out cold instantly. He wasn't fucking supposed to be standing.
Frozen in terror and a sort of professional curiosity for the man's immunity, Harry didn't resist at all when Greyback tore the device from his hands.
"I'll be taking that," the man growled sharply.
Well, Harry thought sullenly as Greyback grabbed the hem of his shirt, he was down to one enemy but clearly no better off than before.
Greyback dragged him towards what looked like a cage on wheels. Harry was still trying to come up with anything he could still try that would not end with him in imprisonment, when something splintered loudly over him.
His head snapped around just in time to see Rosier standing behind Greyback, the broken neck of a bottle still in his hands.
Greyback didn't do much more than stagger, before he backhanded Rosier with surprising speed. The brutal slap from the strong arm sent Rosier sprawling to the ground.
"Bloody hell," he groaned. "What's your head made of sir? Iron?"
Greyback's free hand hauled Rosier up and he let them both dangle in the air at arm's length in front of him.
He looked at Rosier unimpressed, then squinted at Harry. "I'm assuming that's your horse?"
Rosier grinned, his swollen lip starting to bleed more heavily at the action. "That would imply he's riding me, which sadly only ever happens in my dreams."
Harry took an angry breath to retort, but Greyback shoved them both unceremoniously into the cage and slammed the door shut.
"I don't have fucking time for you idiots. Stay quiet if you don't want to get hurt. And you," he pointed at Harry. "Better prepare yourself. My men will want a piece of you once they come around, pretty face, and I see no reason why I should deny them."
He turned his massive back on them and stalked back to his unconscious followers.
"Prepare myself? What does he mean prepare myself?" Harry asked Rosier angrily.
"Uh well…" Rosier wiped some of his blood from his face and looked at Harry sheepishly. "Well, that means we gotta get out of here before they wake up."
"Oh really," Harry snapped.
"What did you do to them anyways?" Rosier asked awed.
"Greyback should have collapsed as well," Harry grumbled. "How dare he insults my invention!"
"Oh well, I'm sorry I wasn't around to defend the honour of your invention. I was a bit preoccupied with freaking out."
Harry sighed. "Why didn't you stay up? You do want to play the hero after all."
"Not much of hero if you fail, eh?" Rosier touched his bloodied nose gingerly and groaned again.
"Why didn't you use your bow? I thought you were good with it!"
"I am," Rosier huffed indignantly, "but I forgot it by the horses. I made sure to aim correctly though, that bottle should have done the trick if I weren't up against a monster. Such a waste too, it looked like wine."
Rosier was leaning heavily against the iron bars, probably exhausted from his own rushed climb down the cliff. Harry was already up and examining the lock that kept the door of the cage in place.
"I'm surprised they let us live actually," Rosier broke the silence after a while. "If they were nice people they would have just let us go. If they aren't, killing us seems much more logical. What's the cage for?"
Harry shrugged, although he doubted Rosier could see it in the darkness. "He told me they would sell me."
"Huh. Slave traders? Didn't know that sort was back in business."
"They also thought I was a spy for 'the sorceress'. I think they are in some kind of fight with her," Harry told him absentmindedly while he rummaged around in his pockets for anything he could use on the lock.
"Who's the sorceress?"
"No idea."
"Not one of your friends then?"
Harry temporarily stopped what he was doing in favour of giving Rosier an incredulous look. "We're gods knows where Rosier, how would I have any friends here?"
Rosier shrugged weakly. "Dunno. Sorcery is like your kind of thing."
Harry rolled his eyes exasperated, a gesture that was of course also swallowed by the darkness. "It's science, not sorcery! How many times-…"
"She's a lady that attacked them a few times already," a small voice came out of the darkness.
Harry and Rosier were both instantly on guard, squinting into the blackness to the other side of the cage. Harry thought he could make out several small shapes hunched over in the far corner.
One of the shapes seemed to be standing in front of the others protectively. "Please don't hurt us."
"Gods damn," Rosier exclaimed breathless, in the same moment Harry finally could see well enough to make out faces.
A bunch of shivering children were with them in the cage. Children, plural. In a cage. Somehow Harry took personal offense in that.
"We're not here to hurt anybody. What's your name honey?" Rosier asked the one standing, probably the oldest one and from the looks of it a girl.
"I'm Lily."
Rosier whipped his head around at Harry's sharp intake of breath. "You okay?"
"Uhm, sure, y-yeah. Err, we have to get out of here…I don't think I can do anything about the lock though," he answered distractedly.
Rosier's eyes focused on something behind Harry and his face grew wary. "Find something else then lordling, your admirers are waking up."
Harry cursed and frantically searched his brain for other ways out.
Screaming and howls stopped him. The men who had been unconscious were already scurrying around and others who had probably been asleep joined them.
The loudest commotion however didn't come from Greyback's group, but from another set of men and women that were storming towards them. The unmistakable patter of horse hooves indicated that some of them were riders.
The children started to whisper excitedly among themselves. It was obvious whose side they were on.
Rosier came up beside him and stared through the bars. "What's that? An ambush? A challenge?"
Just then a pure white horse caught Harry's attention and he smiled when he recognized the long blond hair waving gently around the familiar face of the rider.
"A friend."
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The approaching train turned out to be much shorter than theirs. Engine only. Enough space for a handful of men to travel fast across the country, but not meant for lasting journeys. It was clearly used as transport only and not as housing.
They had to stop on the other side of what remained of the thick vegetation barricade. The small group climbed out of their train and approached them steadily but unhurried.
As they were clearly outnumbered, Tom guessed they'd rather avoid any confrontation.
He shortly entertained the notion of killing them anyways and be done with it, but something about the handful of men struck him as odd and left him pondering for a while. Then he realized that they had shown no sign of surprise whatsoever at meeting another train. Their pace through the thick vegetation was also entirely too purposeful to be just determined. They had expected to meet them.
This didn't really alarm Tom, but he still couldn't figure out how anyone outside of their group could have possibly known where to find them. It would have made sense if the guild had laid another trap for them, but the small group of people posed too little threat to be part of such a plan.
Still, he didn't let down his guard just yet. And with an icy look he reminded his own men not to let down theirs, despite their fatigue. Despite his suspicion, his sword stayed sheathed while he waited for their unexpected guests to arrive.
It was a women who finally approached him. She appeared to be in her fifties, maybe even sixties, but her age only served to accentuate the seriousness edged into her solemn beauty.
Tom was certain he had never met her before, but she appraised him with a quick look and recognition dawned on her features.
"Lord Voldemort? I'll come straight to the point. I'm looking for Harry Potter."
"Isn't everyone?" Tom asked amused.
She met his gaze calmly. "Lord Gryffindor sent me. I understand they are friends."
'Friends' seemed a bit far-fetched for Tom, but he had certainly seen Gryffindor taking a liking to the boy.
He had no arrangements with Gryffindor's group, but he thought it best to try being civil for starters. It usually made things a lot easier when he charmed people.
"I hate to disappoint milady, but Harry isn't here. Now, I'm afraid I must ask you to remove your train, it is blocking the only path to our destination."
"He isn't here? Godric was convinced he was crucial for your plans."
This actually caused Tom to frown, though he made sure to keep his displeasure out of his voice. "You can tell lord Gryffindor I would prefer it if he didn't speak of my plans so lightly."
She smiled at that. "You have nothing to worry about Lord Voldemort, he only confided in me because we are life-long friends. But where are my manners? Rowena Ravenclaw at your service."
He answered her greetings with a slight nod. "And what did you want with Harry milady?"
"Meeting him for one," she answered amused. "Godric couldn't stop gushing about how alike our interests are. In a world that relies solely on physical power, it is hard to find a schooled mind."
"You didn't come out here just to have intellectual debates with a stranger," Tom pointed out.
"Alas no. I came here to warn you. Godric told me you plan to challenge the Bloody Baron despite your suspicions of a trap. My territory is relatively close to the Barons. I'm here to tell you that your suspicions were correct. We intercepted several messages between lord Scrimgeour and the Baron, even though Scrimgeour made it seem as if they were enemies."
"I knew that already."
She sighed. "You seem like a prudent man, why are you rushing to your death?"
"Your warnings are well meant, but I assure you the only thing I seek is victory."
She thought that over for a while before she responded. "Unlike others I don't believe the Baron is invincible. But a normal challenge with such a small group as yours won't get you anywhere. If you truly want to defeat him you need to be cautious. You need at least one inside man that can navigate through the Baron's fortress. It is impregnable and full of traps. You need a plan."
Not for the first time Tom wished Harry could have come with them. He would have spotted all kinds of traps immediately and laughed at them. The child would love nothing more than a fortress full of traps.
Tom knew he didn't have enough inside information. The time pressure exerted by the guild had not allowed it. Yet he could not back down from this challenge. The element of surprise would need to be enough.
"We both know Scrimgeour doesn't want me to defeat the Baron, but why are you so eager to help me?"
"I know we might never gain our old society back, but I still wish for a civil one. The Bloody Baron is a savage. Slavery, blatant cruelty to his subjects... Most of the time his men don't patrol the border to keep invaders out, but to keep their subjects in. I simply won't stand for it. I also think we've allowed Scrimgeour and his friends to play their little game with us for way too long. You are a free lord, which is becoming a rarity sadly. I share Godric's sentiment - it would be a shame to lose you to such an obvious plot."
A free lord? Tom could only assume she was talking about the guild's influence. Which would mean she was either part of the resistance or simply shared their goal unknowingly. Since Gryffindor would have told Harry about the resistance, he doubted they were part of it or even knew about its existence. Interesting. Maybe Tom would steer them in their direction. But he couldn't speak about such delicate matters under open skies with gods knew who listening in the bushes.
"Now I'm wondering though, what are your reasons to take such daring actions lord Voldemort?" she asked curiously.
"It's personal."
"I see I can't convince you. How odd, I'm usually much better at arguments than that."
He smirked. "The fault is not yours milady, I merely had a lot of practice. The boy you mentioned has a way with words and a stubborn mind of his own."
"Well if I can't stop you then at least accept my help. I'm not sure if I can gather my group fast enough to actually assist you in your fight, but for now…" she trailed off, turning towards the thick vegetation that still blocked the railways. "Let me make sure your path won't be blocked anywhere."
If her men would fight then they would likely get slaughtered by the Baron's swords. But that was hardly Tom's concern. More men were always better, especially if they were so expandable.
"Much obliged lady Ravenclaw," he even made a slight bow. "And if your men have any knives or axes to help us with that green barricade that would be much appreciated indeed."
"Oh we have something much better." She was actually grinning. It gave her a somewhat mischievous look that he was used to see on Harry's face whenever he talked about his inventions. He admitted that he might have underestimated her. She might have been a cautious women, but there was something playful in her eyes.
She flicked her wrist and one of the men sprinted back to their train where he disappeared shortly and then carried something back.
When the man got closer Tom could see he was carrying a canister. The shape of it jerked something in his memories and he vaguely recalled them being used at gas stations.
He turned to Rowena. "Where did you get gasoline?"
She smiled at him, all teeth. "Now now, I can't just blurt out my secrets. Though, you see, we can't drink gasoline." She gave him a pointed look. "I've heard you have water."
He inclined his head in thought. "A discussion worth having once we have more time on our hands."
There wasn't much use for gasoline anymore, too long had the world been without it. No doubt Rowena had only recently managed to acquire it again. If the world was able to use it once more, even just in small quantities…the possibilities were endless.
Harry would be downright ecstatic to get his hands on gasoline.
Splashing the liquid onto the vegetation that blocked the railway was a quick procedure. The wood and bushes were green and fresh, the fire would probably not spread very far.
They lit a torch and threw it into the bushes, watching the fire leap onto the gasoline and flicker out into bushes and trees. In a few minutes the green barricade was ablaze.
Tom wondered if Harry would have enjoyed the spectacle. He couldn't decide whether he would have been fascinated by the power or cried about the destruction. Maybe both at once, he was such a contradictory little thing.
Tom shook his head to force the child out of his head. Judging situations in light of other people's enjoyment wasn't like him.
He needed to kill something - maybe that would remind him of who he was.
.
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"When you say friend…" Rosier replied sceptically, watching the screaming groups clash in an uncoordinated bloodbath. "You mean she'll get us out of here right?"
Harry watched Luna galloping across the horde of men, knocking several of Greyback's followers down herself.
"Unless she claims that fate has brought us here and the cage is actually very friendly or something like that."
Rosier chuckled. "You've got weird friends."
Harry shot him a scathing look. "Speak for yourself."
One of Luna's men appeared suddenly by the cage and simply shot the lock to force it open. Then he pointed his gun at Harry and Rosier.
"You two, back away from the children!"
"Woah easy there," Rosier cautioned and held up his hands. "We don't want to see them hurt either. Are they yours?"
The man looked still a bit suspicious but lowered his gun and waved the kids out of the cage.
"No. They're from all kinds of groups. Greyback either keeps them after he defeats a group or steals them outright. Then he sells them like bloody ware."
Luna came riding towards them, her horse was so white it seemed to illuminate the night.
"Hello Harry," she greeted calmly, apparently completely unfazed to meet him there.
"Hi Luna! Uhm, I mean, milady."
She peered behind him, searching. "Where's your other half?"
"My-…what?" he sputtered confused.
Rosier snorted with laughter.
"My Lady!" Another man came running towards them. "We have the children, we need to retreat immediately. We might be able to fight Greyback's men, but the lord himself is untouchable. He's killing us off all on his own!"
Luna glanced at the wild tumult the two fighting groups caused. "No, we're finishing this."
"But-! But my lady! This is the third time we've fought him in the past three days! We finally succeeded to get the children, we have to go now or we'll lose for good!"
"If we let him go he will just kidnap and sell dozens of other children, I will not let that happen."
There was something more real in her voice than the last time Harry had met her. The death of her man back at the ball had shocked her, but she seemed to have picked herself up and was an even better leader because of it.
Harry wished he could just lock her and Riddle into the same room for a day, maybe that would teach the bastard how to be a decent lord.
"Then what should we do? We don't even have the resources to feed all those children. And we're all going to get killed at this point!" Luna's man sounded slightly hysterical.
"We won't," Luna said with conviction and steered her horse around, riding directly into the fight.
"Fenrir Greyback, I challenge you to a duel. Let our fight decide the outcome for the rest of our groups."She didn't exactly raise her voice, but it somehow carried over the fighting men and floated in the air until everyone stopped moving.
Greyback straightened himself to his impressive height and sneered at the frail looking girl. "Give me back my merchandise witch, and I'll look passed your continuous ambushes. If you want children so badly go make some of your own."
To Harry's and everyone else's horror, Luna dismounted her horse and stood completely unprotected in front of Greyback. "No."
The lord's sneered deepened. "Then die."
Everyone scurried away, surrounding Luna and Greyback in a large circle.
Harry did not like where this was going. "Can they do that? This is insane!"
"Duels count as a challenge if both lords, or ladies, accept it at such," Rosier answered, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture.
Harry incredulously looked at Luna's men, but they were all watching their lady with worried frustration. He remembered Riddle describing them as particularly devout and guessed they hated standing by even more than he did.
But they were bound to obey Luna, Harry wasn't. Determined, he jumped out of the cage and started walking. Before he could make more than three steps, Rosier grabbed him by the waist from behind.
"What are you doing?!" he hissed in anger. "Let me go, we have to help her!"
"I'm saving your life idiot. And that," he nodded towards the centre where Luna and Greyback faced each other, "Is a particularly nasty way to commit suicide."
Harry started to struggle. "I don't fucking care. She's barely half his height! Let me go, you have no right to play the voice of reason."
"Sorry lordling, but if you die so do I."
"You bastard, she's my friend!"
"Then try having a bit faith in her."
Harry wanted to have faith in her, but she was so chipper and dreamy where Greyback was tough and ruthless. There was no way he could just stand here and watch.
"Harry I'm serious, I'll lock you back into the cage if you don't stop struggling."
Rosier using his name was so unusual it actually stopped him. He watched the proceedings in the circle anxiously.
Greyback tossed the knives he had used away and spat to the ground. "I don't need anything to squash your skull, girl, but feel free to use any weapon you like."
Luna looked at him with unnerving calmness before she threw her only dagger away as well and picked up a bow and two arrows instead.
Harry groaned with trepidation. What was she thinking? Greyback hadn't even blinked at his device that had knocked dozens of men down. Two arrows couldn't possibly be enough to bring that monster down, even if he would let her shoot him. Once he got too close to her a bow wouldn't do her any good and there was simply no way she would win a brawl with him.
Greyback was apparently thinking along the same lines, judging from his wide grin. "You there," he drawled, pointing at a random man from Luna's group. "Count to three."
The man did so hesitantly. "Three…"
Greyback crouched, ready to sprint directly at Luna.
"…Two…"
Luna placed both arrows simultaneously in her bow.
"…One…"
Luna pulled the string taut.
"…Zero."
Greyback charged, Luna released the string. Greyback swatted the single arrow that flew straight at him away like an annoying fly.
Luna didn't make any move to defend herself. She simply stood there, her bow lowered, still impossibly calm while Greyback launched at her.
Harry however frantically searched the ground and the sky. Where the fuck was the second arrow? She had released them together so why the hell was there only one?
Greyback stood now right in front of the small lady. He stopped only to pull his fist back, ready to swing at her with all the massive force of his arm. Luna just looked up at him. Harry forgot how to breathe from worry.
Then Greyback made an odd little jerk with his whole body and simply crashed to the ground in front of her.
Harry blinked at the fallen lord just as stupidly as anyone else. Rosier released a sort of disbelieving giggle.
It was only after Luna took a step away from Greyback that Harry saw the second arrow sticking neatly out of the top of his head.
"How the hell..?"
"You can tell me what you want lordling, but that's sorcery right there. I might be good with a bow but jeez… Remind me not to get on her bad side."
Luna hadn't tried to defend herself because she had shot her second arrow exactly so that it would come piercing down on Greyback's head. How she had calculated the perfect timing was beyond Harry, just like it seemed impossible to shoot two arrows simultaneously in different directions.
Harry released a shuddering sigh of relief. So much for underestimating people, he could learn a thing or two from her.
"All right, my heart is beating again, we can go now."
Rosier finally released him. "Just like that? Don't you want to talk to your cute-turned-badass friend?"
Harry glanced at Luna who was being surrounded by the rescued children and smiled. "I have a feeling I'll see her around."
"Alright then." Rosier stretched and put his hands on his hips. "Now how the hell are we going to get our horses down?"
.
.
"Okay what the actual fuck is that?!"
"Well…" made Harry and peered down from Betty. "It's…uhm…"
He stared at the stone bridge. After another four days they had finally found a river - hopefully the right one - and a few hours of going upstream had in fact revealed a stone bridge as described in Grindelwald's letter.
The bridge was old and partially crumbling, but that was not the source for their bewilderment.
In the middle of the bridge and also further down at the end were painted arrows. They were big and clearly visible on the grey stones, no doubt pointing in the direction they were supposed to go.
The whole thing had a very belittling quality to it, as if they were kids being beckoned by their betters and not even worth sending a man to get them. Voldemort would absolutely hate it.
"That," Rosier insisted and pointed unnecessarily at the red arrow, "Is blood."
"Well… Technically it's blood mixed with…err…intestines? And I think that over there is a lung," Harry retorted unsure, considering the arrow with a mixture of disgust and curiosity.
"Subtle. Sooo, ah, that lord we'll be meeting… You sure about…ahm…"
Harry dismounted and clasped Betty's reins, carefully leading her over the half broken bridge.
"Okay fine, lead on then," Rosier sighed resigned and followed him.
The painted arrows steered them through the badly ruined village on the other side of the river, always accompanied with some sort of entrails.
Harry wondered if Grindelwald just had a flair for dramatics or if it was supposed to intimidate his guests. Maybe he was also completely insane, Harry certainly hadn't excluded that option.
Eventually they were led to a larger house slightly outside the village.
It must have been an impressive villa once, but it hadn't been spared from time either. While it was substantially better kept than the rest of the houses they had seen, it looked dirty and the garden bore more resemblance to a jungle. Thick ivy covered the house façade.
The arrows strangely enough didn't point them into the house but rather around it, to the backyard.
They tied the horses to a tree in front of the house and made their way through the wild garden.
Just before going around the corner, Harry remembered to take of his glasses and put them into his pockets. After all, he was supposed to be Voldemort now.
There weren't any arrows now, just a trail of disturbingly fresh blood.
"I really don't think-…Rosier?"
Harry had turned around but Rosier was nowhere in sight. Harry cursed and was about to head back when a voice around the corner spoke up.
"Is that voices I hear? Come, come, you've found me!"
Warily Harry made his way around the corner and into the backyard.
He came face to face with two men there. One evidently the source of all the blood, judging by his cut open stomach and various other deep slashes. He was tied down to a wooden chair and quite obviously dead.
The other man was languidly sitting in a second chair next to the dead man, twirling a long knife merrily in his right hand, not bothered by all the blood that had gotten on his own clothes.
What truly unsettled Harry though, was the fact that Grindelwald had to be the dead man. He had grey hair and was obviously older. The other man was younger, about Riddle's age, with black hair and a well-kept beard stubble.
"Lord Voldemort!" the man grinned. "Meet Gellert Grindelwald. He's, ah… an inspiration."
The man patted the dead man's shoulder amiably.
Harry's stomach lurched. Something was terribly wrong here, whatever he had expected from Grindelwald, he had never even considered the possibility of him dying.
"Oh I think it's starting," the man exclaimed excitedly and watched Grindelwald closely.
Harry remained silent, frowning at Grindelwald's body. Something odd was happening to the blood on him. Instead of tickling down it appeared to be sucked back in.
A finger twitched.
Harry's mind blanked. That was not possible. That was not fucking possible.
The dead man's eyes snapped open.
Harry abandoned all hope to ever play Voldemort's part. "Oh fuck me."
The younger man turned his attention to him and smirked with just as much sharpness as Riddle.
"Tell me lord Voldemort… What do you know about immortality?"
.
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A/N: Why hello there Mr. mysterious-but-if-you-think-about-what-characters-are-still-available-actually-quite-obvious I've been waiting for you!
Uhm, I didn't realize Greyback is so well loved...sorry. It's surprising to me because he had such a small role in the books. Is it a werwolf thingy?
I'm hoping to reunite Harry and Tom after about 1-2 chapters. It's been only 2 chapters now but I can't seem to bear it much longer ^_^.
See you as soon as possible :)!